Little Falls Township Council has approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with Crossing Guard Services LLC to take over staffing, training and oversight of the township's school crossing guards, after police officers were repeatedly pulled from their regular duties to cover vacant posts. Mayor James Damiano said the move comes after crossing guards missed dozens of assigned posts during the first weeks of the school year, forcing officers to step in.
Officers Filled Gaps Early in the School Year
According to TAPinto, the Little Falls Police Department has long been responsible for training crossing guards, monitoring staffing levels and scrambling to find replacements whenever a guard called out. When no substitute was available, officers themselves covered the post, pulling them away from patrol and other public-safety responsibilities. Damiano said the new agreement is intended to keep children safe traveling to and from school while freeing officers to focus on their regular duties.
Under the deal, Crossing Guard Services LLC will handle staffing, training and oversight of guards at designated locations throughout the township, filling assignments and providing replacements whenever needed. The company can also draw on a larger pool of crossing guards across northern New Jersey when local coverage runs thin, the mayor said.
A Financial Guarantee Built Into the Deal
Damiano said the company guarantees that every crossing-guard spot will be filled every single day. If it isn't, and police have to step in, the agreement requires Crossing Guard Services LLC to reimburse the township $125 for each missed post that requires officer coverage. The mayor said the arrangement should help police work more efficiently by cutting down on the need to fill vacant posts and freeing them from duties that have nothing to do with patrol or school safety.
The agreement is also expected to ease the administrative burden on officers who previously spent time managing crossing-guard schedules and plugging gaps, particularly during the morning arrival and afternoon dismissal rush. Township officials expect more consistent coverage at school crossings as a result, along with more officer time available for patrol and other public-safety work.
Current Guards Keep Their Jobs and Posts
Damiano was clear that the switch does not mean a shakeup for the people already doing the job. Existing township crossing guards will not lose their positions under the agreement, and they'll have preference for the posts they're currently assigned to. Little Falls can also request guards for community events beyond school crossings, including activities at the recreation center and downtown gatherings near First and Second avenues, as well as Halloween events.
Little Falls Isn't the Only Town Grappling With This
The staffing squeeze behind the decision isn't unique to Little Falls. In Newton, police and parking-control officers typically cover three or four crossing-guard posts a day when guards are out sick or unexpectedly unavailable, according to Fig City News. That outlet also reported that Newton had 42 crossing guards against four vacancies even though this year's budget called for 46 positions, and cited Newton Police Chief Tim Cohoon's account that statewide Civil Service exam applicants fell from roughly 30,000 about three decades ago to around 2,700 in 2022.
Clifton faced a similar shortfall, with a report indicating the city had 54 crossing-guard positions but only 49 filled, leaving it five short, according to a March 2026 account from NorthJersey.com. Edison Township Council likewise approved putting out bids for a private crossing-guard provider after officials found the town had 40 guards covering 53 posts, with one post unfilled and a dozen guards working double shifts, per MyCentralJersey.
What ultimately happened with Edison's proposal is murkier. Patch reported that the township council tabled a resolution to award $900,000 to Crossing Guard Services LLC for the job, while a Change.org petition circulating afterward claimed the council instead rejected the company's bid outright and chose to keep its guards local with a pay raise. The two accounts don't agree on how that process ended.
Bernards Township, meanwhile, moved ahead with its own contract. Township meeting minutes show officials awarded Crossing Guard Services a half-year contract running from January through June 2026 worth $117,000, with hourly billing rates of $32.17 for 30 posts and $36.28 for four additional posts. Taken together, the comparisons suggest Little Falls' move fits a broader pattern of New Jersey municipalities turning to outside contractors as the pool of available crossing guards tightens.
